Car-coupling



(No Model.)

P. F. PANABAKER.

GAR COUPLING. No. 280,949. Patented July 10, 1883.

WITJVES'SES the coming together of the cars; and it con-V 'UNITED STATES PATENT Erica l 'Y PTER F. PANABAKER, ,OF COON RAPIDS, IOWA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,949, dated July 1Q, 1883.

Application filed May 19, 1883. (No modem' To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatl, PETER F. PANABAKER, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Coon Rapids, in the county of Carroll and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Car- Coupling, of which the following is a specifi.

cation, reference being had to the accompany- .i

ing drawings.

This invention relatesto that class of carcouplings which are coupled automatically by sists in certain improvements in the construction of the same, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

`In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure lis a perspective view of my improved car-coupling. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is' a longitudinal vertical sectional view. Fig. et is a detail view of the guard-plates; and Fig. 5 is a detail view, showing. several forms of coupling-links adapted to be used in connection with my invention.

lIlhe same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.

A in the drawings designates the end of a car-frame4 equipped with my improved coupling, and B the draw-head or buffer, which is attached to the car-frame in any suitable manner-fior instance, as shown in the drawings, by a suitable hanger or boxing, G. The buffer has a horizontal partition, D, dividing it into two compartments, the upper one ot' which contains part of my improved automatic coupling mechanism, while the top and bottom of the lower compartment have vertical perforations E, to receive a coupling-pin when it shall be desired, for any reason, to use the ordinary pinand-link coupling. The top, bottom, and sides of the upper compartment, F, oi' the buffer are provided, near the front end of the same, with grooves G to receive the front ends of the guard-plates H and I. The side guards, H, consist of plates of iron or steel, the front and rear ends of which are coiled so as to form tubes J, and their upper and lower edges are 'cut away slantingly from front to rear, as clearly shown at K in Fig. 4

of the drawings. The front and rear ends of the top and bottom plates, I, are likewise coiled so as to form tubes J. The front tubes of all the guard-plates nt in the grooves G of the buffer, and receive pins K, by which the said plates are hinged in their respective places. The top and bottom plates rest or are accommodated in the recesses K of the side plates.

The coils or tubes at the inner ends of the o several plates are simply in the nature of bevels, to make a neat iinish and to insure the smooth and easy operation of the device. The buffer-compartment Fis provided with guideplates L, secured to the inner sides, top, and bottom of the same, and beveled on their front sides, so as to guide the link in an inward or rearward direction. Between the front ends of these guide-plates and the walls of the buffer are clamped iiat springs M, which bear against the inner ends of the guard-plates H and I, and hold the said plates closely together, as shown, without, however, interfering with their free movement upon their respective 'tudinally in the rear part of the draw-head,

and forced in a forward direction by a suitably-arranged spring, P. The rear end of the follower O has a notch or slot, Q, to Vreceive the end of a lever, R, pivoted so as to swing horizontally under the car-frame, and worlrf ing in slot, S, in the side of .the buffer.

T is an opening or perforation extending transversely through the sides of the compartment F of the buffer and the plates L, adjoining the sides, to receive the coupling-pin U, which slides in a tubular casing, V, secured t0 the side ofthe buffer. The pin U has an annular ange, WV, between which and the outer closed end of the tube or casing V is interposed a coiled spring, X, serving to force the said pin automatically in an inward direction. The outer end of the coupling-pin eX tends through the Casin g, and is provided with an eye, Y, to which a chain, Z, is attached.

A] is a vertical shaft journaled in suitable bearings to the end of the car, and having a hand-wheel, B2, by which. it may be conveniently \manipulated, at its upper end, which ICO may extend to the platform or to the top of l, I claim asl my invention and desire vto se-l I the car. The lower end of shaft A2 has'a grooved wheel, C2, to which Athe end of chain Z is attached. The under side of wheel 'C2 has a handle or lever, D2, by means of which it may be manipulated by a man standing on Y the ground, which is sometimes desirable. E2

is a lever or pawl pivoted under the .car-frame.

The outer end of this lever rests against and is held in contact with the rear side of the wheel C2 by means of a spring, F2, while its inner end rests against the outer end of the lever R. 'The wheel C2 has a notch, G2, adapted to receive or engagefthe end of the pawl or lever E2, and it is alsoprovided with a stud or ratchet, R2, adapted to engage a pawl, P2,

which is pivoted to the car-frame, and which serves to retainthe wheel C2 when it is de-V sired to prevent the cars from coupling when they come together.

Inconnection with my improved car-coupling, an ordinary couplinglink, H2, maybe used, when placed on edge, so as to receive and engage the transversely-sliding couplingpin. For coupling with cars having the oldfashioned coupling, I avail myself of the link- I2 (shown in Fig. 5,) which consists of acentralplate, J 2, to the sides of whichy semi-links K2 are secured at right angles to each other. Y L2 designates a link having a central plate,

to the opposite sides of which the semi-linksf are. secured, one above the other, for coupvcoupling-pin is withdrawn.

ling cars of different heights.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood. By turning 'the wheel C2 so as to partly wind the chain Z, the The pawl E2 will then engage the notch G2, thereby keeping the coupling-pin withdrawn from the buffer.

When the cars come together, the link of the opposite car will enter the' draw-head, being properly guided by the spring-plates H I and plates L, until it strikes the follower O, which it forces in a rearward direction, thus operating the lever R and disengaging the pawl E2 from the wheel C2, when the spring X will force the coupling-pin inward and complete the coupling. rIhe buffers will receive the concussion of the cars coming together in the usual manner.

The front end of the follower O may be provided with a vertical groove, as shown, to

cure by lLetters Patent ofthe United Statesl. In a car-coupling, the herein-described buffer having fa horizontal partition, the v grooves in the upper compartment, near the vfront end of the same, the guide-plates hinged in said grooves, and suitable springs arranged to Vforce the inner ends of said plates together, as vset forth. c 1

2. YThe combination, with the buffer, of the hinged side guard-platesehaving tapering recesses in their upper and lower sides7 the hinged top and `bottom guard-plates resting in said recesses, and suitable springs arranged to hold or force Ithe inner ends of said plates together, as set forth.

3. The combination of the buffer, thehinged guard-plates, the fixed guide-plates beveled at their front ends, andv springs clamped -between said guide-plates and the walls of the buffer, and acting against the inner ends of the hinged plates, which are thereby forced together, as set forth. f

4. The combination of theI buffer, the guideplates secured in the same, and the longitudinally-sliding follower, the forward movement of which is limited by the 4shoulders formed by the rear or inner ends of the said guideplates, as set forth.

5. The combination of the buffer, the hinged guard-plates, the guide-plates, the follower, the lever .engaging the rear end of the latter, the

tubular casing upon the side ofthe buffer, the

coupling pin arranged in said casing, the spring arranged to force said coupling-pin in an inward direction, the horizontal grooved wheel having a notch in its rear side, a chain connecting said .wheel with the coupling-pin,

a lever or pawl adapted to engage the notch f in the chain-wheel, and having its inner end arranged to rest against lthe end of the lleverl operated by the follower, andy a spring arranged to force the said pawl into contactwith the notch in the chain-wheel, as set forth.

6. A coupling-link consisting/of a central plate having semi-links secured .toopposite sides thereof at right angles to 'each other, as set forth. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

'PETER FRANKLIN PANABAKER.

Witnesses:

J. B. PANA'BAKER, C. S. KAUFFMAN.

IOO 

